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Baglietto Bzero: Working For An Evolving Future

When you say keep your promises! Last year in Monte Carlo Baglietto presented the BZero (B Raised to Zero) project, which envisages the use of green hydrogen as an energy source.

It seemed like one of many environmentalist and futuristic manifestos, but instead, during an event held on 12 April in La Spezia, Baglietto presented the prototype of the system that will then be installed, in an optimised manner, on Baglietto yachts over 50m. But not a miniature prototype, a 1:1 scale prototype, even equipped with the same surface of solar panels that will be installed on the yachts. (Here all our posts about Baglietto)

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Baglietto BZero and sustainability

The event, named “Bzero – Working for an evolving future” to outline the shipyard’s progress in the field of new sustainable energy sources for the naval sector in today’s constantly evolving and ever-changing world. Bzero, the first ‘B’ in Baglietto’s system of values (in addition to the other 8Bs: Bold, Boutique, Balance, Borderless, Brave, Background, Brilliant, Beauty) and perhaps the most important one, represents the Company’s strong and firm commitment to achieving zero emissions.

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Raffaella Daino

Opening by Giancarlo Orsini 

The opening lecture was by Giancarlo Orsini, an expert in innovation and technology and a leading figure in the training sector for over 26 years. Mr Orsini provided an insight in the current ‘mega-trends’ – the scenarios of change facing today’s society – and explained why being aware of them is essential in order to be able to seize the opportunities they offer. 

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Giancarlo Orsini

Baglietto BZero: a full-scale prototype

The system prototype will be used to develop operation procedures, optimise technical solutions, and obtain the certifications required to use the system on board yachts and refill the tanks, either independently, or from an external source (making up for the lack of infrastructure in the former case and reducing refuelling time in the latter). The power station also partially contributes to the shipyard’s energy production cycle, thereby becoming part of an integrated virtuous system. 

BZero

Baglietto’s CEO Diego Michele Deprati 

“The Bzero project – comments Baglietto’s CEO Diego Michele Deprati – once more testifies to Baglietto’s pioneering approach, our strong commitment to greener and increasingly sustainable yachting, and our active role in the ongoing inescapable energy transition process. The BZero Power Station – continues Deprati –  is the promise we have delivered on. 

Diego Michele Deprati

Baglietto’s Sales Director Fabio Ermetto

The system has also a great sales potential, as pointed out by Baglietto’s Sales Director Fabio Ermetto: “The BZero project is an important journey into future knowledge. Indeed, yachts equipped with this technology can be expected to produce zero emissions up to 75 h at anchor and have a range of up to 20 nautical miles at a speed of 7 knots. The combination of hydrogen and batteries will result in 4 times more available energy than that ensured by current batteries, which will also mean great savings for the Owners”.

BZero
Fabio Ermetto

Baglietto’s Director of the shipyard’s Energy Department Alessandro Balzi

“The project, whose primary objective is to increase the cruising range of the boat in the electric, zero-emission, navigation mode,” adds Alessandro Balzi, Director of the shipyard’s Energy Department, “is based on the installation of hydrogen fuel cell technology on a hybrid or diesel-electric platform on board Baglietto yachts. The special storage system – continues Balzi – allows to trap hydrogen, which by nature takes up large volumes, in metal hydrides, thereby making it possible to store it in the solid form, safe and at low pressure”. 

Together with project leader Baglietto, six international partners are taking part in the project, all of them having design and development teams based in Italy: Arco Technologies, Bluenergy Revolution, Enapter, H2Boat e Siemens Energy, as well as RINA as the certifying body across all project stages. 

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Alessandro Balzi

THE BZero SYSTEM

The BZero system is based upon a hydrogen production module which uses filtered and deionised sea water to produce hydrogen with 5.0 purity grade at a maximum pressure of 35 bar thanks to AEM-type electrolysers, developing an overall power of approx. 55 kW. Electrolysers are primarily powered by energy from renewable sources (solar panels) and/or the shore power grid, so as to produce as much ‘green’ hydrogen as possible.

BZero

The hydrogen thus produced is then stored in the solid state inside metal hydride cylinders (MH storage) at low pressure (35 bar, compatible with storage) and room temperature. The process of storing and releasing the hydrogen from the hydrides is managed by a ‘thermal management’ system allowing to heat up (during hydrogen discharge) and cool down (during charging) the metal hydrides. The thermal energy required comes from the heat produced by the PEM-type fuel cell module (approx. 200kW), which uses hydrogen as fuel to produce zero-pollutant and zero-noise electricity. The electricity produced by the system is controlled by a DC/DC converter installed on a central 700V DC bus previously tested on Baglietto’s hybrid technology yachts. A set of lithium-ion batteries, connected to the same bus, in parallel with the fuel cell, is in charge of absorbing energy demand peaks and troughs on the user’s side.

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